The Third Wish
by Olivia028
Summary: Jasmine mysteriously finds herself transported to the Cave of Wonders and into the arms of the evil sorcerer Jafar.Jasmine needs Jafar's help and the power of three wishes to save Agraba, and Jafar needs the wish of a princess to set him free.
1. A visitor

It had been almost a year since the marriage of Princess Jasmine to her true love Aladdin. On that momentous day the kingdom of Agrabah was saved and the evil sorcerer Jafar had been banished, bound to a life of everlasting servitude to whomever found his lamp. But the lamp was lost deep within the cave of wonders. And as the months past its prisoners began to suspect it would be a very long time before they would ever see the light of day, or another person again.

It wasn't' long after Jafar and Iago got there that the cave's magnificent splendor began to fade, replaced gradually by other objects. Cracked tables, faded paintings, lost objects and broken things. The cave's treasure was turning to trash. The changing condition of the cave caused Jafar to wonder what was going on with the outside world that so many things were ending up here, broken and forgotten.

Jafar paced back and forth through the main cavern, the metal end of his scepter clanking on the cavern floor.

"All's I'm say'n is, did it really never occur to you?" Iago's obnoxiously asked, " that oh? I don't know, being a Jeanie includes the whole SLAVERY THING?" Jafar spun around, pointing his scepter threateningly at where Iago was perched

"Don't push me, Iago!" he shouted, "I was in a moment of power, I wasn't thinking!" Iago pushed the scepter's serpent head away.

"Don't make me laugh. That thing isn't even close to regaining enough power to hurt me." Jafar retracted his staff, "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean that I can't." He grabbed the parrot around the neck, shaking him and causing his eyes to bulge. Iago gasped, his voice raspy from Jafar's tight grasp around his neck.

"Ok, master, you've made your point." Jafar sighed and opened his hand, letting Iago fall to the ground in a cloud of feathers. The parrot shook his head and brushed him self off, Jafar's robes dragging past him as he walked by.

"Ok so you weren't thinking, it's understandable, there was allot going on, it's hard to keep all that in check. But let's think now. How the _hell_ are we going to get out of this dump." Iago kicked at a near by bowl sending it crashing into one of the piles of garbage.

"I don't know." Jafar said over his shoulder. He had been thinking about that since the day they got there, but no matter how much they had searched the cavern, no exit had been found.

Iago flew up and landed on Jafar's scepter, looking at it skeptically.

"And what about _this,_ how long till this hunk of junk is strong enough to get us out a' here?" Jafar brushed Iago off of the serpent's golden head, sending him to perch on his master's shoulder instead.

"Patients Iago, soon it will regain its full power and we will be free of this place." Jafar sat down in a large throne like chair, made of a pile of other pieces of furniture. The two of them looked into the scepter's face, it's glowing eyes a little more then half way illuminated. It wouldn't be able to conjure anything until the eyes fully glowed their wicked red color. Then, then it would be at full power, and they would escape.

"You don't think, maybe we could spare a drop of it to, a, take another look?" Iago looked greedily into the serpent's eyes, it's swirling light reflecting in the whites of his own. Jafar saw this and quickly lowered the staff, away from his servant's gaze.

"We were too hasty to do it the first time, Iago. A glimpse into the outside world will drain a quarter of its power at least. If we watch anymore then a minute, all of it could be gone."

"Yeah, and I'm just dieing to spend another month in this lovely little shit hole." Iago said sarcastically pacing across Jafar's solders.

"Watch your tongue Iago. I don't particularly like hearing your vulgar words shouted in my ear!" Iago was about to shout back with an even more offensive response when suddenly, an echoing sound caught the two's attention. Through the shadows of the cave, the sound of fluttering wings reached their ears. Jafar looked to Iago who was perched on his shoulder and raised his eyebrow questioningly.

"It's not me, I'm right here," the parrot said, answering Jafar's unvoiced question. The sound came again, flapping against the thick silence. Anxious to see another living soul the two quickly rose from the chair to see what it was. Jafar ran to the center of the cavern and looked into the only source of light he and Iago had, a series of small holes in the roof of the cave, hundreds of feet above the cavern floor. Up there, the creature flew, shrouded in the white light of the afternoon. As they watched, its form became clear as it descended in wide sweeping circles. It was a bird, a large white owl of magnificent size and swiftness, with feathers as thick and white as clouds. Jafar and Iago looked in confusion at the strange creature. A bird of that color and shape was uncommon to Agrabah and all surrounding areas. Coats like its were only seen in the mountain birds of Mongolian travelers, and gave them good reason to wonder why it had found it self here. And for that matter how it had gotten into the cave.

The white Owl opened its large wings as it landed on a perch above the sorcerer and his parrot, it's white feathers gleaming against the darkness. Jafar walked toward the bird, recognizing the aura of power that hung around it, a feeling he knew from his own magic. Iago leaned over to his master's ear

"What ja' think this's all about?" Jafar shook his head,

" I don't know... Iago, you can speak to it can't you?"

"Well yeah, I mean, I think so." Jafar looked at Iago, who didn't get his master's meaning right away. Jafar glared at him, motioning his head toward the great bird.

"Oh! Right, right, um… ahem!" Iago cleared his throat and addressed the other bird, " Hey Fluffy! What'cha doing in here!" Jafar hastily clamped his hand over the parrot's rude beak.

"Damn you Iago, shut up!" the owl turned its head quizzically at the two below it. Jafar released Iago's beak and turned back to the owl asking, "Who are you? What do you want?" The bird opened its large wings again, the feathers shinning even brighter then the daylight from above, and swooping down it hovered in front of Jafar. The bird glistened blindingly. From its light the form of another began to take shape before their wondering eyes. The form grew with the magic. Taking on the shape of a woman, it outstretched its arms, mimicking the great wingspan of the bird above her. The sorcerer and his bird winced against the light as it flashed, releasing a body from its hold. Jafar looked past his hands that sheltered his face peering into the blinding magic, and he recognized the person who stood, arms outstretched before him. It was Jasmine.

The shinning stopped, retracting suddenly and showing the queen Jasmine easily to the two banished ones. No longer held in suspension by the bird's strange magic her body collapsed. Jafar rushed to her side catching her before she could hit the floor. All was silent once again.

Iago didn't let that last very long. "The Princess? What! How, how is the princess here? What the hell just happened, with the glowing and that fuzzy pigeon over there!" Iago was losing his feathers in a cloud of excited confusion. Flying over he landed on Jafar's shoulder and peered down at the unconscious royalty in his arms. "The Queen, Iago, she's the Queen now." His eyes looked over her. She was as ravishing as the day he had seen her in the quart yard of the palace, leaning against the marble fountain, so long ago. Her skin was still beautifully tanned and unflawed, her raven hair tied back in thick golden rings still shimmered as polished black ivory. Jafar stood holding the sleeping queen in his arms.

"Iago, go into the cavern and look until you can find a bed, or a couch, or anything suitable for us to lay her on. She should be comfortable when she wakes." Iago was about to protest, but the look on his master's face silenced him. The parrot flew off into the cave of wonders, in search of a piece of appropriate furniture. Jafar looked up at the white owl. After performing its miracle, the bird was surprisingly calm, perched and seeming oblivious to the fact that it had just delivered a body out of thin air. Jafar sat on his thrown of broken and lost things, the queen of Agrabah cradled in his arms, as he waited for Iago to return.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, pretty confusing huh? but don't worry, all weirdness turns to sense later on. but you have to keep reading to figure it out <strong>

**review please! **


	2. The rules of Magic

Jasmine slowly opened her eyes. As the memories of the direness of her current situation came flooding back to her, the Queen shot awake, sitting up right and screaming out cries of "Arm your selves! To the gates! We mustn't let them break through!" she breathed, quickly looking around and taking in the new surroundings, she realized she was no longer in the kingdom. "What? Where am I?" Jasmine was sitting on an old bed, the padding covered in an inch of dirt, and leaning precariously, relying on only three standing legs.

"Hey she's awake!" Iago's familiar voice called out, followed by a fluttering of wings as he flew over and settled himself on the end of the bed.

"You?" Jasmine said, looking surprisingly at Iago the parrot. "No, it can't be, you were banished to the cave of wonders, along with," she stopped realizing that if the parrot was here, his master would not be far away. The young Queen's quick mind quickly put together what she thought had happened. Her pretty face clouded with anger, "Where is he Iago? Where's that dirty snake? I'll ring his neck for bringing me here!"

"Calm yourself you're highness, and don't be so quick to jump to conclusions." Jafar's voice came slithering out from the shadows of the cavern, and soon he too appeared in the light where she could see him. The sorcerer stood tall and proud as ever. Even in the crumbling surrounding's of his prison Jafar still looked regal, adorned in his robes and turban as black as his evil heart. Jasmine wasted no time leaping off the bead and running to face him. Anger blazed behind her beautiful eyes.

"And why shouldn't I?" she asked, boldly facing him, "If not you then whom else should I blame for the magic that brought me here?" she faulted for a moment, "and at such a time as this." She looked back up at the powerful sorcerer, waiting for this response. Jafar looked up at the perching white bird, Jasmine followed his gaze.

"_That_ brought you here, not me." Jasmine looked at the strange large bird and began to protest,

"That's ridiculous how could a bird be the…" she faulted again, remembering what had happened before she woke here. The castle, the clash of swords, the cries of her people, and then a flash of white, picking her up and carrying her away into blindness. Could it have been the Owl who had carried her away from there? Jasmine turned back toward the creature. It nodded its head, as if hearing the questions in her thoughts.

"What did you mean?" Jafar asked, drawing the Queen's attention back to him.

"When?" she asked

"You just said, 'at such a time as this one'. Princess what's been going on in Agrabah, since we left?" Jasmine lowered her eyes from his and walked over to the bed, taking hold of its post in her hand.

"It's Queen now, I guess you don't know about that either." Jafar nodded, he did know of her rise to the thrown, but calling her as such was more of routine then a slip of the tongue.

"Well, I assumed as much." He said. Jasmine almost smiled but she couldn't do that, she hadn't been able to for a very long time. "Have you heard nothing of our troubles?" she asked into to the darkness of the cave.

"Iago and I know very little, we've only been able to glimpse once into the outside world, and only for a very short while." He walked up behind her, and surprised himself as he felt the erg to reach out and touch her shoulder, but he stopped, almost afraid to feel the unfamiliar warmth of her skin under his hand. The idea was strange to him. Most of his time spent in the cave was devoted to contemplating revenge on the young princess and the street rat hero. They didn't deserve his pity, but seeing her now made him question it. "I, we know about the death of your father." It had been almost a year since it happened, but Jasmine still tensed up when she though of it. The sadness clenching at her heart and still bringing tears to sting at her eyes.

"Yes, well, sadly that's only the beginning of our worries." Stuffing down the sobs that threatened to weaken her, the Queen regained herself and turned to face the banished sorcerer. "Since my father's death, Jafar, Aladdin has been running the kingdom. We removed many of the crewel laws that you had convince my father to put in place and focused our attention to helping the people." Jafar scoffed at the young ruler's foolishness and went to sit down on his makeshift thrown. Jasmine angrily followed him, appalled at his disrespect.

"And let me guess," Jafar said smoothly as he closely examined the head of his scepter. "Things just suddenly began to fall apart." Jasmine's expression softened slightly.

"How did you…"

" It's simple, prin… ahem, you're highness, pretty boy Aladdin may have the good intentions, but he doesn't have the strictness or experience to handle the cruel truths of ruling a kingdom. There are sacrifices to be made, judgments to cut one program that will ensure the benefit of another, and the measures that have to be taken to protect the kingdom." His voice was slick and harsh, and it hurt the young Queen the most to hear the truth in his words. Jafar saw his guest draw back, seeming to be holding back with something. He leaned forward in his chair and waited expectantly for her to tell him. Jasmine sat down on the cold hard floor, she couldn't face the sorcerer but she could feel his eyes on her, waiting.

"The Serbs have invaded Agrabah." She said. "Their army was just breaking through the west wall and into the kingdom when I was taken away." Jafar leaned forward, disbelief in his face.

"God, he stopped paying them? Why!" Jasmine looked up at Jafar

" We had too, it was blackmail!" she said defensively.

"Yes!" said Jafar, "but obviously it was a necessary payment! I was the one who established the deal with them, young queen, and though you may not see it this way, by doing so I have kept the kingdom safe for many years."

"You're a traitor Jafar!" she screamed, standing up to meet his height in his chair. He rose too, standing easily a foot above her.

"And you are a poor ruler! See what you're do-gooding has done for your people!"

"Quiet! Both of you!" Jafar and Jasmine turned their glares to Iago, whose obnoxious voice had interrupted their arguing.

"What!" demanded Jafar. The parrot flinched under their angry stares.

"I, I've been talking with the pigeon over there, and she's got something to say" Iago pointed a thumb in the direction of the white owl, who was bobbing it's head in an agitated fashion.

"What, speak to us?" Jasmine asked. Iago rolled his eyes,

"Yeah, she wants to sing you a ballad. No! Of course not! But as a bird I can understand her, and will translate for you. Shesh! " Jasmine felt a little stupid from the parrots rude response, but too her surprise she found Jafar at her side. He was defending her.

"Watch your self Iago! We're in the present of royalty, and though you've forgotten what the word respect means, you could still try to dig up some from that pea sized memory of yours." Jasmine looked up at Jafar, he didn't meet her gaze.

"A, yeah, right, sorry about that… so anyway, listen, this is important." The three turned to look up at the bird that had brought them together. She looked sad as she quietly hoo'd her message to Iago. Jafar and Jasmine looked between the two birds, Iago nodding as the larger one spoke to him as only birds can. Iago turned to his master and the new Queen.

"Well?" Jasmine demanded, time was running short on her patients. Iago rubbed the back of his feathery neck hesitating to share the news.

"She says that the Serbs have forced the last of Aladdin's men to the palace, remaining survivors are taking shelter there as well. It won't be long before they break past the palace's walls." Jasmine's eyes widened as her hands went to cover her mouth. In a daze of disbelief she sat down on the crumbling bed, trying to sort out the trouble of the situation. Jafar carelessly pushed Iago aside, sending him into a pile of old chairs with a yell and loss of feathers. Pulling out his cape and robs he sat down beside the silent Queen.

The sorcerer's shyness had warn off now, and he found himself happy to be in the presence of another human being, especially one as beautiful as Queen Jasmine. He shifted the scepter to his other hand and wrapped his arm around her, holding her gently. The warmth of her skin under his own was wonderful, so smooth to the touch, as if it had never been touched by another, never exposed to the harshness of the outside world. He held her tighter.

"Jasmine, I'm heart broken by this terrible news. It really is a shame that it had to happen at this time of your life, in the prime of your youth. But, at least we can rely on one another, during these hard times." Jasmine looked at Jafar, a wickedness twinkling in his eyes. Realizing the lack of space between the two of them she quickly pushed away from his grasp.

"No! no I'm not going to sit here while my people suffer and die."

"And what do you plan to do, your majesty?" Jafar asked, suddenly remembering the annoying demanding tendencies of the girl. "If you haven't noticed there isn't a way out of here."

"What about the bird?" the white owl perked up at its mention. "How did it bring me here? There must be an opening." Jasmine stood and began to circle the cavern, her eyes wandering through the darkness. Jafar stayed on the bed resting his scepter across his lap.

"No, we've searched everywhere, this cave has no exit. The bird used Magic to bring you here." Jasmine turned to face him.

"Then she can use magic to take us back!" the Queen was growing desperate, and Jafar could see it in her eyes. The owl shook her head against the young woman's desperation. From the pile of broken furniture Iago pulled him self free. He coughed viciously, clearing the dirt from his lungs.

"She says…" he gasped, "It doesn't work that way. She can only do the magic she's be given to do, for certain tasks, or whatever." Iago picked himself up and flew to his mater's shoulder, collapsing there and breathing heavily. Jasmine couldn't accept this.

"Well damn magic! Damn it an all it's stupid rules!" she paused then, remembering the magic of before, when Genie had been bound by the rules of his magic as well. Slowly a smile crept over her beautiful face. Jasmine spun around and rushed to Jafar taking his hand in her own. Shocked by her change of mood Jafar looked down suspiciously at the young Queen,

"Jafar," Jasmine smiled, proud of herself for remembering, "you're a genie now, you can get us out of here and make everything right again!" she hesitated for a moment, " You still have your powers, don't you?" Jafar carefully removed his hand from hers, and rolled up his sleeve. A large golden armband was clamped tightly around his wrist, a symbol of his servitude to the lamp.

"Yes," he said letting his sleeve fall, "I am still a genie. No thanks to your street rat of a husband."

"My husband did what had to to save his people from a power hungry tyrant!" Jasmine stopped. She needed Jafar's help, and she knew that yelling wasn't the way to get it. Composing herself, Jasmine continued. "Anyway, the point is you can get us back to Agrabah."

"No, your majesty," Jafar said, "only you can do that. If you can find my lamp you can whish us out of here and save your people." Jasmine smiled again, sure that she had found the solution to their problems,

"Great! Tell me where it is, and we can get out of here…." but Jasmine stopped, catching the coldness in Jafar's eyes. "What is it?" Jafar looked down at his feet.

"I don't have it." Jasmine didn't understand.

"Where is it?" she asked. He looked up at her.

"Somewhere in there." he motioned to the denseness of the cavern behind them, "I was separated from the lamp when I got here. The cave of wonders goes on for miles, your majesty, I was fortunate enough to find my scepter, but the chances of locating the lamp in there… is very slim." Jasmine looked at Jafar, her eyes darting between his own, trying to figure out if he was lying to her. This was the only way they could help her people, they needed to find that lamp.

"Well then we have to start looking." She demanded, a commanding tone heavy in her gentle voice, "It's our only hope for the survival of my people. You and I'll start over here. Iago and the owl will go that way. We have to move fast, and stay watchful, time is short." Jasmine unwrapped the white draping from her shoulders and threw it on the bedpost. Rolling up her billowy sleeves the Queen began searching through the near by piles of trash, turning her back to the bewildered sorcerer and not leaving any space for interjection.

Jafar looked to Iago who shrugged. Both of them had forgotten how forceful the young woman could be and hadn't been used to taking orders for so long. Jafar rolled his eyes and he too pushed up his sleeves. Grasping the scepter firmly in his hand he followed Jasmine down one of the nearest passageways, using the serpent's glowing eyes as a spot light to search through the darkness. Iago flew down a separate tunnel, the white owl after him, her feathers illuminating the cavern so both of them could search more easily. Time indeed was short so the groups worked quickly, spelunking deeper and deeper into the catacombs of the Cave of Wonders in search again for a magic lamp.


	3. Shadows

In another cavern Iago was rambling on to his uninterested companion. After almost a year of banishment with the unpleasant Jafar, he had a lot to complain about.

"And I thought that he was bossy when we were in the kingdom, but oh no! With no one else around, I'm his punching bag! Well I guess I've always been his punching bag, but it wasn't so bad when I could get away from it for a bit, you know stretch my wings, get some air. But there's no frickn' air in this cave! I'm always stuck with him, it's terrible!" the white owl flew ahead, her sharp eyes scanning the rubble below. Iago paused from his digging for a moment to look at the strange creature. She still glowed; very softly her feathers illuminated a white light through the darkness. Her movements were flawless, and the parrot noticed that she didn't flap her wings as much as she should have. She sort of levitated flapping every now and then to stay afloat. There was something unnatural about that bird, Iago thought, but one thing that bothered him most was all the feathers she had, it wasn't right for this kind of temperature.

The owl stopped flying then, and perched on what looked like a lamp stand. Peering into the darkness of the tunnel she began to hoo softly. Iago coked his head toward her, trying to pick up what she was saying. Walking closer he looked down into the tunnel, and froze. Iago squinted into the distance, trying to make out a blurry shape that stood out vaguely from the darkness. The shape moved then, walking closer and taking the obvious silhouette of a person. Iago couldn't hold in his surprise.

"What the! Who the hell is that?" The owl spun around quickly, startled by Iago's presence. She seemed to have forgotten that he had been there with her. Narrowing her eyes she screeched at the parrot. Iago jumped back, startled by her sudden aggressiveness.

"What's the big deal? Who is that?" he asked still extremely confused. The large white bird puffed up her chest and opened her wings to their full length. Her eyes narrowed, challenging the parrot to question her again.

"Alright, alright, I get the message! I'll check a different tunnel. Sheesh, have fun with your freaky friend over there… weirdo." Iago took off and flew back toward the main cavern leaving the owl with the mysterious figure in the distance.

The owl called again, her eyes shinning with her feathers through the darkness. A voice as thick and as sweet as honey came to her from the end of the tunnel.

"We weren't supposed to get this involved."

The owl hooed back quietly, a pleading sound coming from her strong breast. The figure paused, nodded, and extended a slender hand out of the shadows, offering a black lamp to the glowing bird.


	4. Good news

Jasmine lifted an old wooden chest, looking through the rubble that lay beneath it. Her delicate fingers were bruised and sore from shifting through the endless garbage of the cave. As she rifled through the rough surroundings the memory of the cries of her people filled her ears. Their voices echoed through her thoughts and weighed heavily on her heart. They were still in peril, even though she was not, and by any means necessary she knew she had to return to them, to defend them, as was her royal responsibility. All these thoughts pushed her further into the cave to desperately search for the only thing that could get her home. The magic lamp.

"Jafar! Have you found anything?" she called to him.

"Would we still be here if I had?" he answered back. Jafar shook his head as he sorted through a pile of shattered tea sets. Jasmine didn't bother responding to his sarcasm. She walked to the next pile. Her eyes squinted, struggling to make out anything in the darkness of the cavern; she was getting to far from the light of Jafar's staff. It was pointless searching in this darkness, through it the queen couldn't differentiate a table from a pincushion. Jasmine sighed and headed back toward Jafar.

Focused on his search he didn't hear the Queen approach until she was crouched at his side. Surprised he looked at her, then smirked.

"Scared of the dark, Princess?"

"Not in the slightest." She said, holding her head high as she examined a tower of ripped portraits.

"Then why are you standing so close to me?" Jafar's voice sweetly slithered to the Queen's ear, a little closer then Jasmine wanted to admit. Blushing she turned away.

"Don't flatter yourself, Jafar. I just need the light of your staff to see what I'm looking at."

"Hmmm, of course you do, my mistake." Jafar smiled wickedly to himself and continued looking.

Side by side the pair searched through the darkness; the red light from the serpent's glowing eyes casting the cave in eerie shades of maroon. Against her better judgment Jasmine stepped closer to Jafar. He looked down at her and caught the smallest gleam of fear in her eyes as she looked around the cave. Again he was surprised to find himself feeling a need to comfort the princess and against _his_ better judgment, he did.

"Stay close." Was all he said, but it was enough. She met his eyes and nodded. They walked on.

Even with her determination, Jasmine couldn't help feeling a creeping sense of doubt. How long would it take? Would they have to search the entire vastness of the catacombs before they found it? And worse, could her people afford to wait that long?

As an answer to her prayers the fluttering sound of Iago's wings came to them through the darkness. As he raced closer, his shape entering the red of the Sorcerer's staff, Iago called out to them.

"She found it! She actually found it! The white ball of fluff found the lamp!" Jafar and Jasmine quickly turned to meet the excited parrot. Jasmine ran to him, her face shinning with relief.

"She did? Oh Iago, that's wonderful! Where is she? You have to take us to her." Iago flapped weakly in the air, his tongue hanging out of the side of his beak.

"Yeah sure, sure. She's in the center cavern. But could I a… just" he eyed his master's scepter, clearly wanting to perch on it.

"Don't be ridiculous, Iago," Jafar said pulling it away, "you can rest once we're out of here. Come, your highness. As you said, time is short." She nodded to him and took off down the passage, Jafar close behind her. Iago was sent spinning as they raced past him. Correcting himself he turned and flew after his master and the Queen.

"Wait!… Wait for me! Sheesh, I've gotta' work out more. Jafar, wait!" he called between breaths, and flew after them back through the darkness.

**AN: yeay they found it! But oooh, Jafar and Jasmine seems to be getting … closer. Mhmm what will come of this? Lol, I'm really into this right now so I'll get the next chapter up within the week, hopefully. Please rate and review this if you like it **


	5. A deal is made

Jasmine ran into the light of the center cavern, followed closely by Jafar, his black robes billowing out behind him dramatically as he too stepped out of the darkness of the cave. The large white owl was waiting for them, perched magnificently on a ledge high on the cavern wall. The Queen and the sorcerer came to a stop as they stood beneath the glowing creature both more than anxious to see the treasure they had so desperately searched for.

Jasmine glanced at Jafar, he nodded and she stepped forward.

" You've found it?" she asked, her question echoing up to the bird. The owl made no gesture to answer but simply opened its great wings and leaped from the ledge. As it soared down toward the pair they could make out the shape of an object grasped in its talons. The white glow of the bird reflected on the black glassy surface of the piece that neither of them had seen since the battle in Agrabah, so many moons ago.

Jasmine reached up for the lamp. As the bird flew over her, it dropped it gently into the Queen's outstretched hands. She caught it and quickly held it to her chest, careful not to drop the fragile china. Cradling its value close to her heart, Jasmine felt as if, for the first time in a year, she could jump with joy. The lamp was the key to getting herself out of this cave and to finding relief for her kingdom's suffering.

In her grasp the item held no sense of power, and certainly didn't appear to have as much significance as it did. Jafar must have had the power inside him, his lamp was simply the key to unlock it.

Jasmine's thoughts were cut off as Jafar swiftly ripped the lamp from her grasp. Slightly dazed from her thinking she snapped back to the presence of her companion and spun around to face him.

"Jafar, give me the lamp, I need to wish us out of here so we can get back to Agrabah!" The sorcerer backed away, holding the lamp easily out of Jasmine's reach, a wicked amusement gleamed in his eyes.

"Not so fast, Princess. I've been separated from my power since I got here. Now that I have it back I won't be giving it away so easily." Jasmine couldn't believe how difficult he was being. He new the severity of her situation, and still he wanted to be selfish and greedy.

" Jafar!" she shouted at him, " I don't have time for your games. Agrabah is burning, and every minute that you don't help me is another minute that our people loose!"

"Our people?" He cut her off mid rant, raising his eyebrow questioningly, a glint of mischief in his eye. Jasmine threw her hands up in exasperation.

" Our people, my people, the citizens of Agrabah! A city of which you are still a member of, and once had the responsibility to protect. Please, Jafar, don't be like this now… help me." It was her please that caught his attention. The Queen of Agrabah stood before him in all her determination and vigor, but her face had suddenly lost the tightness of her previous anger and looked softly up at him, pleading. There was sadness in her lovely almond eyes, and it struck Jafar, harder then any of her harsh words could. Again he felt that annoying pain in his chest, an infuriating nuisance that was becoming more frequent the longer he was with her.

Jafar's face showed none of this, of course. He had always been good at keeping his emotions to himself. Pushing the thoughts of pain and beauty aside he smiled down slyly at Jasmine, holding the black lamp in front of him, but still out of her reach.

"Alright, pet," he cooed, enjoying the discomfort he saw in her when he said it, "I'll help you, as was my intention all along." She glared at him.

"Then why delay our mission with your little game of keep away?"

" Well my dear, I'm afraid that my services do not come without a price."

"We've no time to negotiate." Jasmine jumped at the lamp but Jafar was too quick, slipping it out of the way and raising it high above Jasmine's head, far out of the Queen's jumping distance.

Tired, annoyed and with her desperation growing by the second, Jasmine finally gave in. She huffed at the sorcerer. Hands on her hips she looked up defiantly at his smug grin.

"What do you want?" Jafar lowered the lamp and held it delicately in his long fingers. He slowly began to walk around the Queen.

"I will give you back my lamp and happily grant the wishes you request of me, as are my requirements to do so. All I ask in return is that you then graciously save your final wish to set me free. We get out of this miserable cave, save the kingdom, and I am released from my binds to _this,_ and will go on my merry way, out of you and your little street rat's hair forever." He stopped his circle and faced Jasmine once more, looking at her with his sly expression, "do we have a deal, my Queen?" Jasmine did not take as kindly to his offer as he had hopped.

"And release you to reek havoc on my kingdom? Forget it! Jafar, I know you, and you leaving peacefully with out revenge, doesn't seem to be in your repertoire." She grabbed for the lamp again, holding on to the sorcerer's robes so he couldn't pull away. But Jafar laughed at the small woman's aggression and once again held out the lamp, dangerously dangling it by only its delicate handle.

"Ah, ah, ah! I've been stuck with this power but with no way to use it for far to long. I'm going to relieve myself from this blasted thing's restrictions, and you're going to help me." he put his hand on Jasmine's where she was holding his robe and looked dangerously into her eyes, "If you don't agree to help me… I'll destroy the lamp." her eyes grew wide with shock.

"You… you wouldn't. What would happen to you when it's gone?" The question caught both of them by surprise. The fact that her concern went first toward Jafar and not the loss of the power she needed seemed to come from nowhere, though Jasmine told herself it was simply out of spontaneous curiosity. Jafar chose not to question her on this and answered her honestly.

" When the lamp is destroyed I loose my powers." This confirmed the severity of Jafar's threat.

"You do that and you doom us all. We'll both be stuck here, and Agrabah is as good as gone." Jafar knew the risks of his threat and that with the Queen's current distress there was no way she would refuse his offer. But just for the fun of it he decided to give it one more little push.

"Being trapped here with you princess, _alone,_ would be perfectly alright with me." Jasmine's eyes widened again. She was now all too aware that Jafar was still holding on to her hand. Though his touch was gentle, his words were not. The queen felt a wave of disgust come over her as she remembered their encounter in the throne room a year ago. The same sick look of bad intensions was smoldering in his eyes. She shivered as she felt naked and exposed under his hungry gaze.

Ripping her hand out of his grasp she backed away from Jafar, eyeing the lamp in his hand. Without any more hesitation she nodded, a silent agreement to his demands. Jafar was pleased but needed her word. He took his scepter and used it to gently lift her chin so that she was looking him in the eye.

"What do you say, my dear?" he asked, using that same line from their past that bound their memories of that fateful night. Jasmine hated that he chose those words to ask her. She wanted to spit in his face, or throw something at him like she had before, but he had the advantage this time. The Queen straitened her shoulders and held her head regally as she answered him.

" You have my word. After I make my two wishes to save my people, I will wish you free. But only after you've helped me secure the safety of my people." A twisted smile spread out across Jafar's face as he lowered his staff and released Jasmine, letting her beautiful face fall. She seemed somewhat defeated.

Jafar walked to stand behind the young Queen, placing a hand on her shoulder he leaned over her as she seemed to be sorting out what she had just agreed to.

" A wise decision, your majesty. Now, as you've been telling me the whole time you've been here, there's not much time." he almost whispered the last part into her ear as he wrapped his arm around her, placing the black lamp into her hands.

This triggered the alert in her brain, and brought Jasmine immediately back to her present turmoil. Not daring to waist a moment more, she quickly rubbed the lamp. As she did so, red smoke began spilling out of its nozzle and pooling around the feet of the sorcerer who stood behind her. She turned and watched as Jafar was consumed in the red smoke, his body lost behind it as he absorbed the magic of which he had so previously been deprived.

Iago had entered the cavern just as this transformation was taking place. Exhausted and confused by the display, he collapsed on a rocky ledge, close to where the owl was perching. Both watched in awe as Jafar grew to fill the cavern, still hidden behind the crimson smoke, his laughter amplifying with his power. Then the smoke cleared and Jafar levitated above them, laughing in all his godlike glory.

Jasmine gazed up at his genie form, her hair and clothes blowing dramatically in the wind of his power. With red skin, glowing yellow eyes and frightening physique he almost resembled the devil, and was just as terrifying. But Jasmine looked down at the lamp that trembled slightly as he streamed from it, and remembered that she was the one in control.

"Jafar!" she called up to him, pulling him out of his maniacal reverie. "I'd like to make my first wish!" in a second Jafar was at her side, and in a much more reasonable size.

"Yes, my Mistress, I am but here to serve you." He was joking of course, but his voice, now thick and distorted still had Jasmine on edge. He was clearly enjoying this, not that she could blame him. It must feel amazing to be completely consumed with pure power, to be magic incarnate.

Iago suddenly perked up from his perch on the cavern wall.

"Whoa! This is it! Wait! Don't leave without me!" he jumped from the ledge and flew down to perch on Jasmine's shoulder. The great white owl followed suit and also soared down to the group, flapping gracefully above them, its own odd magic suspending it in the air above them.

The group stood together in the center of the cavern, caught in the beams falling down from the tiny holes in the ceiling, the only spot of light in the otherwise suffocating density of the cave's darkness. The Queen, the genie, the parrot, and the mysterious owl, huddled together as the magic words were spoken.

"I wish we were back in Agrabah." Jasmine let the wish fall from her lips. Her hands squeezed tightly onto the lamp as the instant she said the words she felt the world around her begin to change. The cave of wonders spun into a blur, red smoke filled her vision and a tingling of magic prickled over her skin and filled her lungs. Jasmine had her eyes squeezed shut as the magic took control, but at the climax of the transport her eyes flung open and a gasp escaped her lips as her breath was sucked from her body. In no more then a puff of smoke the group was gone, the cave of wonders left empty once again.

**_ Oh my... r****omantic tension is rising in the cave of wonders… where will this lead?**

**More of this to come soon, but chapters will be posted even faster if you review! **


	6. Return to Agrabah

The streets of Agrabah were in a state of destruction. The once pleasant market lay in carnage from the onslaught of solders that had broken through just moments before. In the light of the late afternoon, the sky seemed to be bathed in red, casting the city in ominous shades and shadows. The sound of marching feet echoed through every street and sideway as the Serbian army stormed their way toward the city's center, an almost mechanical pounding that shook the earth with every impending step.

In the distance buildings were burning. The smell of fabrics and incense that had been swept up in the flames wafted hauntingly through the streets as the smoke billowed toward the sky. It was in this wreckage and destruction that two figures were delivered, a cloud of red smoke dissolving around them as if they had evaporated from the air itself. The appearance would have been terrifying, and beautiful, if anyone had been there to see it.

As the smoke cleared Jasmine felt lightheaded, not used to the power of the magic that had delivered them here. She reached out to grab onto something as she staggered backward and when she did was surprised to find Jafar's hand holding onto her, helping her steady herself. After a moment her head cleared and cautiously he removed his hand, making sure she could stand firmly on her feet before stepping away. The gesture, though kind, was unexpected, to both the Sorcerer and the Queen. But neither could be bothered to process it, their full attention was drawn immediately to the condition of their surroundings.

Jasmine's eyes scanned over the ruined street they now stood in, her hands clinging to the black porcelain of the lamp. Over toppled fruit stands and tattered curtains that blew like shredded banners over a nomad's land, she took in the remains of the marketplace and felt her heart grow heavy with sorrow. For a split second, the impact of the destruction took over her. Jasmine covered her mouth with her hands, stifling a noise that was between a sob and a gasp. How many of her people had suffered here? They couldn't have all made it to the palace in time. Some might have been in this very street when the Serbs charged through, caught up by the same force that had left it in ruins. Oh why hadn't she been here to protect them?

Jafar was just as surprised as the Queen. He looked around in dismay at the once pleasant city that used to be his home. In all his time spent imagining his return, he never expected to see it fall to such ruin, his absence making his arrival all the more shocking. Even Iago couldn't find anything to say and so the four of them just stood there for a moment, lost for words.

But the direness of their situation didn't allow them the comfort of waiting. Jafar spun around as he heard the sound of approaching soldiers, the rattling of their armor clanging as they drew near.

"Your highness, quickly we must take cover." He started toward a secluded alley but stopped when he didn't see Jasmine follow. As the shadows of the soldiers rounded the corner, Jafar growled in frustration, reached back and grabbing Jasmine by the arm pulled her out of the openness of the street and into the shadows of the alleyway. With his pull Jasmine was jolted out of her clouded sorrow, and although she felt as if he could have wrenched her arm from its socket, she met it with a bolt of energy and ran to take cover with the sorcerer and their winged companions.

Pressed up against the wall they watched in silence as the enemy thundered past. It was a small group of men, apparently finished looting and now headed to join the front against the palace. Jasmine cursed them under her breath as one by one they ran by. She could feel her blood boil and her muscles tense as she braced herself against the shadowed wall. After the soldiers disappeared around the next corner, Jasmine and Jafar stepped away from their hiding place and turned to face one another.

Jafar had returned to his human form when they had arrived. With Iago perched on his shoulder the sorcerer had again regained his powerful demeanor. Jasmine looked up at him, a fire blazing behind her beautiful eyes.

"We must get to the palace. The streets will be dangerous and you know them better then I do. Can you lead us there?" she asked, a stern look on her face. Jafar nodded

"Yes, but it will be impossible to know where the Serbs may be. There's no way we'll be able to avoid them let alone make it through the front gate."

"Hey Jafar, what about those passageways under the west wall we used to take? They're away from the front and would be a heck of a lot easier to get to from here," the parrot offered.

"Good thinking Iago," Jafar shifted the weight of his scepter through his long fingers, as he contemplated this. The paths and sideways racing through his mind as he calculated their fasted route.

"There are passageways?" Jasmine asked, suddenly confused, "Did my father know about this?"

"Yes, at some point. It was my belief that he had forgotten about them though, since they haven't been cared for in years. But the lack of patrolling in the palace's catacombs made them very useful for traveling undetected. Speaking of which, we should move out." He had already begun walking back toward the street, the large white bird gliding behind him.

"Jafar, wait!" Jasmine ran after them, trying to match his fast stride while at the same time trying to secure Jafar's lamp to her side.

By abandoning the subject Jasmine was left to wonder about the sorcerer's activity in the passages that had demanded such secrecy. She knew of Jafar's dealings in the past, and all the pain his actions had caused. In the short time spent with him, however, she had almost forgotten the treachery her companion was capable of. He was still the same person who had betrayed her father and tried to kill her love, he couldn't be trusted then, and didn't deserve her trust now. But despite how she hated to admit it, Jasmine needed him. And so she reached his side and ran in stride with the banished one as he led them through the streets of Agrabah.

The small party ducked in and out of alleyways, hid behind crates and barrels, and ran through shadows that were gradually growing with the approaching night. They were quick and silent, the owl flying ahead and scanning for any soldiers or roadblocks that would threaten to slow them down.

At last they reached the western wall. Across from the towering barrier some smaller buildings sat, stacked on top of one another like blocks in a tower. They all seemed to be shops and bars. Over the door of one of the establishments a sign was painted in scrawling Arabian letters. It was a smoking lounge, and a rather shady looking establishment at that, though in the current conditions of the city it looked just as run down as the rest.

Jafar wasted no time stepping through the doorway into the building. Jasmine followed close behind, sliding carefully past the door that hung precariously on only a single hinge.

The room was dark. Toppled tables and shattered dishes lie scattered over the floor. Many of the large cushions where patrons had sat were sliced through; their bellies gouged open, spilling their feathery insides to float lazily over the dirt floor. The Serbs had already been here. Jasmine squinted through the dark and trying to imagine what the place had looked like before the army had crashed through it. She didn't think it would have been that much better.

"Why would the Serb's have raided this place?" Jasmine asked as she continued to look around, " there's nothing here but filth." Jafar was ahead of her in the lounge heading toward a back corner of the shop. As he used his scepter to search through the darkness he answered her.

" For the opium of course. This was a smoking lounge after all, and drugs like that are often hard to come by." His tone was distracted, not caring for the Queen's questions and intent on searching for what they had come there for. This made sense to Jasmine but she shook her head.

"Well it's a disgusting habit if you ask me." she turned toward him then,

"Jafar what are we doing here? We're wasting time." Jafar was crouching low to the ground, brushing away the dirt that covered the floor.

"We're looking for the entrance to the passageways. There's a large stone slab that leads to it but it's been so long I can't remember which corner it's located in. Now stop asking questions and look over there." His voice was commanding and urgent, Jasmine couldn't tell if it was due to concern for their situation or for his own personal priorities. Nonetheless she pushed up her billowing sleeves and quickly went to the farthest corner of the abandoned smoking den.

In the open window the gleaming owl perched. While they had been there she had remained silent, but now, suddenly she bristled her feathers and started hooing agitatedly. Iago, still perched on Jafar's shoulder, turned to her. The whole urgency of their journey had kept him unusually quite, but his annoying voice quickly returned when he heard the owl's concerns.

"Jafar, hey Jafar. Jafar!" Iago pulled on his master's turban until he jerked his head toward his feathery servant, glaring at him with dark eyes.

"What!" Iago flinched but pointed to the owl.

"Something's got her freaked, and it an't just the state of this place."

"Well what is it then? Spit it out Iago." Jafar was still clearing the ground, to busy trying to light with his scepter and brush with his other hand to look at what Iago was pointing to. Iago, starting to panic, could only think to grab his master's face and turn him toward the corner where Jasmine was headed.

In the thick darkness of the corner, a shadow seemed to stand slightly apart from the rest. It took his eyes a moment to adjust but then Jafar saw it, the slightest tint of light reflecting off a metal surface. Lurking in the corner and somehow standing invisible, there was a soldier, waiting. The light glow from the owl was just enough to catch on his armor. He must have been in the process of looting the smoking lounge right as their party had entered it. Taking solace in the shadows he waited silently, and now Jasmine, completely oblivious to the man's presence above her, was practically kneeling at his feet.

Jasmine was sifting through the dirt when she felt the room go silent. It was then that the heavy weight of someone's eyes bore down upon her and she froze, feeling a presence that was all too near and unfamiliar. Her eyes shot up and saw the face of a stranger, peering out from the darkness above her. Jasmine screamed as the soldier pulled his sword and leaped from shadows. Falling backwards on her elbows she threw up her arms in any attempt to protect herself from the inevitable slice of the warrior's blade. Her eyes widened in fear, she couldn't breath, she waited for death to strike. But as he descended upon her a flash of black robes swept past the corner of her eye and in a second the world was lit in a blaze of glowing red electricity. Above the fallen queen her attacker was hit with a beam of magic that lifted him off of his feet and sent him flying, screaming, backward with such a jolt that he crashed strait through the wall behind him.

The horrifying look of rage on the man's face mid blow had been illuminated just as the stream hit, and Jasmine felt as if she couldn't stop seeing it, that look in his eyes as he towered above her seemed to glare at her still. But things were silent again, and she shook as her breath returned to her.

"Nice shot, Jafar!" Iago flew over to perch on the crumbling wall through which the attacker had been thrown, "And next time, you'll stay hidden, Jerk!" the parrot shouted at the man who he lie unconscious in a cloud of dust on the ground.

Jafar was instantly at Jasmine's side, taking hold of her trembling shoulders and asking if she was all right. He had moved so quickly. The instant he saw the soldier the sorcerer had felt something well up inside him, a mix of fear for the girl and an unbelievable anger toward the man who threatened her. Before he knew it he was standing over her cowering form, raising his staff and sending the attacker crashing into the next building in a broken heap.

"I… I'm all right." Jasmine said, trying to regain her composure. Jafar helped the young Queen to her feet. She brushed herself off and stood tall, but even in the darkness Jafar could see her hands shaking.

"Are you sure? That wretched scum, I should rip his throat out." Jafar glared over at the hole in the wall, his body tense with anger and ready to finish the man off, if he wasn't dead already. But Jasmine's voice brought his attention back.

" Were you concerned for me, Jafar?" a light hint of amused suggestion floated in her words. Jafar stared at her for a moment, then his face changed as his former smugness returned to him. He smirked at the young Queen.

"Not in the slightest, my dear. Now if you'll please stop delaying our mission I'd like to move on." Jasmine shook her head as he turned away. She watched him for a moment, standing tall and strong in the low light before her. He had saved her. The same man who only a year before had left her to suffocate in a sandy death. Jasmine couldn't explain it. She tried to think of something to say, but when she opened her mouth all that came out was,

"Thank you." Jafar stopped. Her voice was sweet, but hesitant. With out turning around to face her he replied,

"You're welcome." And they left it at that.

Jafar had found the slab and with the Queen's help they lifted it from the ground exposing the gapping blackness below.

Jasmine peered into the pit before her.

"Is it safe to jump down?" she asked, her eyes searching the darkness.

"Yes, but you might want to…" but before Jafar could finish Jasmine had slid over the side and disappeared, swallowed by the blackness below. Jafar and Iago looked at one another in surprise. The parrot looked down into the hole, and then back at his master.

"Ah, after you?" He said. Jafar rolled his eyes and grabbing the bird by the neck and threw him down into the pit, sending Iago's scream to echo away as he disappeared in a cloud of feathers. Jafar looked back at the hole the soldier had made. _I just need the wish_, he reminded himself. And then sighing he too slipped over the edge and disappeared into the darkness.

**AN: sorry for the long wait on this one. but i hope the JafarxJasmine interactions were worth it. **

**as they get closer to the palace, our pair gets closer as well. bow-chica-bow-wow! lol**

**please review! your comments are like fuel for my writing ;) **


	7. Hypnotism? if only

**AN: Hi there! ok, long wait for this one, i know. but totally worth it! it's time to explore our feelings and move in close. ooh yeah! **

**thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! keep em coming! i love hearing what you think :D **

Beyond the ruined streets of Agrabah, over the waves of solders that crashed against the palace's weakening gates, and into the silence of the white marble halls, a suspenseful calmness filled the air. The golden light of sunset cast its last beams through open window-ways. The silence of the stone, from which the magnificent halls, pillars, and moldings were cast, seemed to hang in these great empty spaces. Nothing moved, nothing breathed. The walls themselves seemed to hold their breath, waiting for that last moment when the outside world would break though and the swelling silence that rung through their eves would shatter and be lost forever.

Through these halls of hallowed stone, the smallest sound was heard around every corner. In one of the western great rooms, the flawless floor began to move, a square slab suddenly lifted and slid ever so slowly revealing a passageway beneath it. From the darkness, voices peeked out.

"Jafar, hoist me up." Jasmine said.

"Not so fast, Princess, we should be sure the room is clear first."

"Good idea, Jafar, someone should go take a look, be sure that it's safe and all." Iago agreed. There was a pause. "Wait, what are you lookin' at me for?"

"Iago, just fly up and take a look." Jasmine encouraged.

"No way, I'm tired of being your little canary, send the fluffy turkey, I'm _not_ going up first." There was a flash of red light from Jafar's scepter followed by a yelp of pain from Iago, and the parrot was quickly on his way up toward the opening above them. Muttering under his breath, Iago reached the top and peered out over the open room.

"It's clear!" He shouted, and flew out of the hole, the owl following closely behind him. Jafar raised himself up using his magic. Reaching the ledge he hoisted himself out and into the golden light of the palace. The royal rooms were so clean, the nobility they held represented in the elegance of their architecture. It had been so long since Jafar had seen such splendor.

Before his banishment, the sorcerer used to walk these halls at his leisure, as if he was the Sultan himself, overlooking the grandeur of his home. That greed, that need to take control that conjured such fantasies still thrived inside him. If anything, his banishment to the cavern had only increased these desires, and his desperation to reach them. But now there was something different. There was Jasmine.

Jafar had always desired her, her beauty striking at something within him that wanted to own her, to have that beauty for himself, to do with as he pleased. But within these last few hours, he had suddenly seen more in the young Queen then he had before. There was a look in her almond eyes when she pleaded with him, a gentle curve to her mouth when she looked at him after he had saved her. The twinge he had felt in his chest before was now an intense beating as he thought of these things.

He wanted her, not just to own but to protect, to love and to care for. He realized now that he would do anything to keep her safe. It was an odd feeling for the Sorcerer, and he found himself confused by it. Jafar reasoned it would take an eternity to truly understand the emotions Jasmine conjured in him, but as long as he was with her, he could live with the confusion.

Jafar turned back to the hole and called out to Queen who was waiting below.

"Remain still, your highness, I'm going to pull you up." Jasmine nodded to him from the darkness and positioned herself arms outstretched, and waited. There was nothing at first, and she wondered how this would work. Then, slowly, she felt a tingling warmth coil around her, making her body feel oddly light and secure. To her surprise the young Queen's feet lifted from the ground as the Sorcerer's magic pulled her up toward the opening where he stood.

In another hall, a pair of guards had been patrolling for break-ins from the Serbs. They had been near by when the scraping sound of the party's entrance reached their ears through the otherwise silent rooms. Convinced it was the army attacking, they quickly headed toward the eastern court where the noise had come from, armed with their weapons and ready to attack.

In the hall, Jafar had successfully pulled Jasmine up from the passageway, catching her in his arms as he steadied the young Queen just before her feet touched the ground. She hovered there for a moment, the warmth of Jafar's magic still surrounding her as his slender hands held her waist in a stable yet gentle grasp.

Jasmine was getting used to the peculiar feel of Jafar's magic, but as she met the powerful gaze of the man who held her so close to him, she felt at odds by what she saw there. He looked directly into her eyes, he held her body up against his own, he said nothing. Neither did Jasmine. She didn't know what was keeping them from separating but as she shared his gaze, she didn't mind it. The embrace between the Queen and the Sorcerer didn't last more then a few moments, the two of them returning to reality as soon as Jasmine's feet touched the ground.

At that moment, the guards entered the large white room where the two stood, their noisy armor-clad-entrance catching both of the intruder's attention. They turned in surprise as they were caught under the gaze of the guards. The hands of the banished Sorcerer still wrapped around the waist of the kidnapped Queen, though not what the guards were expecting, was still reason for them to act aggressively.

After a moment of dumfounded shock, they jumped into protective action, pointing their swords and addressing the banished one.

"Jafar!" one of them shouted. He stuttered silently for a second as his mind tried to figure out the appropriate way to command a situation he knew nothing about. Finally he managed, "Step away from the Queen!"

Jafar sneered at the clueless guard, his grip tightening possessively around jasmine. Seeing the palace guards, Jasmine was suddenly pulled from her heart fluttering daze as she remembered her authority here. She pushed away from Jafar's grasp, surprising the guards at how easily she did so, and went to them.

"No, stand down! Jafar is with me and is not the threat to worry about right now." Jafar noted that she still referred to him as a threat. He didn't know if he was pleased or disappointed by this. The Guards slowly began to lower their weapons, looking warily at the evil man who loomed behind the Queen. One of them leaned in toward Jasmine and whispered slightly,

"You're … you're not hypnotized are you, your majesty. He has that power you know." _Hypnotism, _Jasmine thought, _if only. _She shook her head,

"No soldier, a just thought but not the case. I assure you, your Queen is of completely sound mind." He nodded and stood back, replacing his sword at his side.

Their Queen addressed the three then, regaining her complete authority as she spoke with a voice that would have commanded respect from anyone.

"Now we have to move. _You_ will escort us to the throne room; your accompaniment will hinder any confusion concerning Jafar's presence. While here, I grant him complete clemency from all his crimes and he will not be bothered or harmed. I want _you_," she pointed to the other soldier, "to retrieve any other guards around the palace and bring them to the throne room. If I'm correct, that is where the citizens are gathering and we need to base our defense around them. Their protection is our priority. Now go!" the solder nodded and ran off to collect the others. Jasmine didn't hesitate, as she ran in the other direction down the chamber hall, headed toward the throne room, Jafar and guard following close behind.

**AN: Warning: it's about to get real! **

**Please leave me a review of what you think, Jasmine and Jafar appreciate it as well 3**


	8. Broken open

**AN: thank you all for your reviews so far! i'm so glad to know you're enjoying this. **

**for those who have posted "update, update!" i'm happy to present the thrilling eighth chapter! **

**warning: this gets a little intense and slightly graphic. All the fun gore of war! so enjoy! :D **

* * *

><p>On the cold stone floors the masses huddled together. Shivering against the fear that raged just beyond the doorway of the last safe room in the Arabian palace. The splendor the throne room soared high above them, but alas its powerful walls were now trembling, and the last of Agraba's survivors feared that the hallowed hall would soon become their tomb.<p>

A small girl clung to her mother's robes, burring her small face in the protection of her embrace as she flinched against the impending thud that crashed against the massive doors. The voice of her king reached her ears and she looked up to see him as he passed by.

Young Aladdin stormed back and forth across the marble floors, the weight of his royal clothes cascading behind him. Even in the dim light of the red sky, the fabric still glistened. But it was its shine that hurt him, and everyone could see it. Shrunken in the skin of royalty, he was no more then a boy, cowering in the clothes of a king.

He had done all he could, gathering the last of his people to this place and having his men standing at the ready, their swords and spears aimed at the massive door as it creaked on its golden hinges. He continued to pace, repeating words of encouragement to his soldiers as he passed. That was all he could do, all he could offer them now, as they faced almost certain death.

_What kind of a king am I? _He questioned himself. He knew not of war or of strategy. How could he have known it would have come to this? He had accepted the throne with a good heart, and intent for the well being of his people. But clearly that was not enough. And it was his inexperience that had doomed all those who cowered behind him. And had lead the rest to death.

Aladdin spun around suddenly, feeling a tug at his cape. Instinctively his hand went to his sword and he drew it, swinging around. His eyes widened as he saw the frightened face of a small child who knelt before him. Quickly he replaced his weapon and stood back, momentarily shaken by what he could have done.

The little girl's mother pulled her close and both stared up at their equally frightened king. Aladdin swallowed and knelt down toward the girl. His face softened, as he looked kindly at her.

"I'm sorry. Are you all right?" the little girl shook her head and clung tighter to her mother. Aladdin looked down. _Of course she's not all right, no one here is. Idiot, that was a stupid question_. The girl peeked out at her king and saw the sadness in his eyes. Hesitantly she stepped toward him.

"King Aladdin… you will protect us, won't you?" Aladdin looked up at the child who stared at him behind large frightened eyes. He stared at her, a feeling burning up inside him. He was the king, and he would do whatever took to keep his people safe. Or die trying. He nodded to her.

"What's your name?" he asked softly.

"Amala"

"I promises you, Amala. I will protect you. No matter what." The girl nodded, and then running to him, hugged Aladdin. The young King held her in his arms, praying to Allah that he would be able to keep his promise.

From the back of the throne room another door began to shake. The citizens began to cry out, fearful that Serbs had found the other entrance and would soon break through to destroy them. Aladdin looked up fearfully. Quickly he pulled Amala away and looked into her eyes.

"Listen to me it's going to be ok. Amala, I'm going to go now but I want you to be brave. Stay with your mother, you'll be all right." The little girl nodded, tears building up in her eyes as her mother wrapped her arms around her.

Standing Aladdin drew his sword and called over several of the soldiers. Weapons braced they faced the door, ready to defend from whoever would come breaking through.

"Hold steady men, we're going to, ah!" Aladdin shouted as the door was blown open in an explosion of red smoke. He and his men where thrown back slightly. Aladdin picked himself up, hunched over against the hellish smoke that cleared through the doorway. Through squinting eyes he peeked over his cloaked arm as a tall looming figure slowly emerged.

His eyes widened. _No. It can't be. _The shadow took familiar form as the red smoke began to clear, revealing the dripping black robes, the glowing eyes of his golden scepter, and dark face of the evil one he had banished one year ago.

"Jafar" the name was but a whisper, and seemed to almost be echoed in the hiss of the magic that surrounded his entrance. The sorcerer smirked evilly at the mention of his name, taking the greatest pleasure in seeing the fear of the boy king who gazed up at him.

Shock turned quickly to hatred as Aladdin's eyes darkened. He didn't even hesitate to lift his sword and swing it full force toward the chest of the dark man who dared to come back. But his swing was halted by the scream of a woman, the protest of a voice that he knew by heart and could never disobey

Jasmine came running in from behind Jafar, throwing herself in between him and the sword in her husband's hand. Aladdin gasped, alarmed to see his beloved alive and well after her mysterious disappearance earlier. The two locked eyes and instantly ran to one another, Aladdin dropping his sword, swooped Jasmine up into his embrace. He clung to her, stroking her thick black hair and holding her close to him.

"Oh Jasmine, praise Allah you're safe. When you disappeared I feared the worst. Where have you been? Are you hurt?" they pulled away from the embrace, Aladdin holding her tightly by the shoulders as Jasmine cupped his face in her hands.

"No, no I'm fine, I'm just so happy you're alive. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you or our people but it wasn't under my control. Oh, but Nevermind that, I'm here now and everything is going to be ok." Her husband looked at her quizzically, the idea of being ok completely foreign to him. She stroked his hair and smiled, beginning to quickly explain everything.

Behind them Jafar stood brooding in the doorway, Iago perched as usual on his master's shoulder. The parrot looked from the glare on Jafar's face to the happy couple in front of them.

"Looks like you missed out, eh Jafar?" the sorcerer's fist snapped up, punching Iago in one swift move off of his shoulder, his stare remaining glued on Jasmine in front of him. The parrot wearing a sort of toothless grin fell to the ground. Shaking his head he rubbed his beak.

"Sheesh, you can't take a joke can you?"

"It's not funny." Jafar said quietly, still staring ahead. Iago looked confused. His master was never this serious about the girl before. So what, this life threatening experience had suddenly changed him? Something didn't seem right. He flew back to Jafar's shoulder, landing cautiously. He studied the stone cold expression on Jafar's face.

"Well what could you do, huh? Fry the street rat right in front of her? In front of all these people?"

Jafar's grip tightened on his scepter. "It's not out of the question."

"Oh sure, and what then. I'm sure seeing her husband shrivel into ash will make her just thrilled to love you."

"I wasn't going to actually…" Jafar froze suddenly. _Love me?_ He bristled under the all too true accusation.

"I never said that I…" he began to shout but Iago interrupted him.

"You didn't have to." Jafar looked slightly shocked at Iago, who just rolled his eyes. "Honestly Jafar, my brain is the size of a peanut and I could tell. The real issue is if she's noticed, and if she has, how do you move forward?" Jafar looked back at Jasmine who still held lovingly onto Aladdin.

"It doesn't matter. I'm her genie now and that's all. Once she makes the second wish she'll set me free. I'll deal with everything after that." Iago continued to stare at his master, a look of concern in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked, surprisingly quietly,

Jafar remained silent for a moment. "Yes." He said, and picking up his scepter walked over to the reunited King and Queen.

Aladdin looked at Jasmine, trying to sort out everything she had told him about Jafar and the wishes. He had dealt with the power of wishes before, but that was when he trusted the genie who was granting them. He trusted Jasmine, but there was still one thing he didn't understand.

"What about the third wish? Why are we limiting ourselves with just one?" Jasmine looked down at the floor, and then back over her shoulder at the approaching Jafar. How could she explain to her husband without upsetting him? He would surly react as she had with the idea of setting Jafar free. But there was something now, something she had discovered about the sorcerer that made her feel…. Like she could trust him. Jasmine met his gaze and a small smile peeked out from the corner of her mouth. She turned back to Aladdin.

"I made him a promise. And I have to keep it." Aladdin's grip tightened slightly on her arm.

"What kind of a promise?" but before Jasmine could answer she was interrupted but a terrible rumbling that shuttered up through the floor. The people in the room cried out and scattered as dust and small fragments of the ceiling rain down upon them, falling from the massive roof hundreds of feet above them. The entire throne rooms seemed to shake under the final impact of the imposing army just beyond the door. The door that now stood one last time in its stretching archway before the last of its ancient strength crumbled under the mighty weight of man who leaked in behind it. The sound of their entrance hit with the first blow, sending solders scattering backward as the massive hinges were ripped from the walls and the doors broke open.

"To arms!" Aladdin shouted over the clearing of the rubble and the roar of the Serbs. He picked up his sword and directed his men forward, sending them swords drawn into the swarm who came rushing through the now open door way. Over his shoulder, he ordered seven of the soldiers to take the refugees and guide them out through the door of which jasmine and Jafar had entered, in hopes of protecting them by hiding them deeper in the palace. To Jasmine at his side he told her to accompany them, to keep her out of danger of the battle, but to his surprise she had already picked up a sword herself and was standing defiant and strong at his side. The glare in her eye told him that she wasn't going anywhere. He had no time to argue. So he squeezed her hand and nodded.

Together they turned back toward the battle and ran into the fray. Jafar who had been standing beside them, followed suit, staying close behind Jasmine and wielding his scepter, prepared to defend the queen from anyone who dared to attack her.

The clash of swords rang throughout the hall, equaled only by the cry of anguish as warriors fell behind them. Some were Arabs but surprising many of the fallen were Serbian soldiers. Aladdin's men were skilled and were doing well, but as the soldiers continued to pour in by the thousands, it was certain that they wouldn't last much longer.

At the side of her husband, Jasmine fought with as much strength and vigor as the rest of the warriors in the room. All her pent up pain and anger from the day's turmoils was released in the stab of her sword. She cried out with every thrust, stabbing and slicing one by one the men who ran at her. She gasped as the sound of sword swung at her head just grazed past her ear. Ducking the side attack she slipped to the floor and struck out at the ankles of the man who faced her. He fell with a cry of pain, but more closed in, ready to take advantage of her compromising position. In a second all them were blasted away by the red jet of magic from Jafar's scepter. He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her to her feet, spinning around to evaporate a man who tried to attack them from the left. Jasmine pressed up against his back, sliced through a large soldier who tried to catch the sorcerer from behind, both opponents fell, and together Jafar and Jasmine ran on.

As the battle continued Aladdin looked around in fear. His men were falling, and though those who still stood fought valiantly, the enemy continued to swarm. From the gapping red hole from which they had come the Serbian soldiers were silhouetted in black, crawling through the opening like insects and flooding into the throne room. Sweat stung at his neck, his heart raced. _How? How would they survive this?_ A flash of red light across the room reminded him of Jafar and Jasmine's plot. A look of determination darkened his face, and swinging his weapon he made his way across the throne room to where Jasmine and Jafar were fighting.

"Jafar!" he shouted, barely able to catch his attention over the crash of the battle. "Make them go away!" Jafar looked up as Aladdin neared him. Growling he snapped toward a solder who was approaching his right and blasted him in the chest. Through gritted teeth as he fought of the soldiers around him he shouted,

"It has to be Jasmine who wishes it! She hold's the lamp!" Jasmine pulled her sword from the back of the man who had just fallen and turned wide-eyed toward Jafar. _That's right! The wish. Allah! How could I have forgotten?_ Grunting she turned on a soldier who was wielding double swords and fought with him, trying again and again to block his double blows while attempting to get clear access to gut. But the man was almost twice a large as she and seemingly more skilled. With a twist of his writs he pinned the tip of her sword between his two. Jasmine gasped and looked up into his twisted evil grin. From the back of cavernous throat, the man laughed a deep disgusting chuckle. Lifting one of his swords he went to strike, but Jasmine flinched as from somewhere above a long metal staff was swung powerfully at the man's face, sending him flying backward and taking out two men behind him. Lifting her sword, Jasmine turned on the figure above her, raising it only to have it blocked by Jafar's staff. He pinned her sword above her and grabbed on to her wrist, catching the Queen by surprise.

"Jasmine, the wish! Make it now!" her breath caught in her chest, but she nodded and reached down for the lamp that still hung at her side. Jafar took her sword and turned to defend her from two more attacking soldiers. Jasmine's hands trembled as she held the lamp, her mind racing as to what exactly the second wish should be. As Jafar fought in front of her, he felt a tingling sensation run over his skin. It was the lamp; he could feel her tremble as she held it. Her fear pierced at his heart and his urge to protect her soared. He fought with more aggression sending away a small group of soldiers in a second. He backed up, reaching out a hand to shelter Jasmine behind him.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin screamed, near by. She spun to look at him fearfully. "The wish! Now!" swallowing hard Jasmine rubbed the lamp and closed her eyes. _What was it Aladdin had said earlier? Whish them away?_ Her grip tightened on the lamp and as loud as she could she shouted,

"I wish the Serbian Army was gone!" the red smoke spilled out of the lamp causing it to quiver and shake. Jasmine held it tight against her chest and knelt down, trying to maintain a hold on the power.

Jafar couldn't help but smile wickedly as the smoke enveloped him, causing all Serbs who stood around him to back up in fright. Many of them dropped their weapons to gawk in fear at the rising spectacle. Jafar's evil sounding laugh slithered from his throat and coiled itself around the expanse of the room as he grew to his genie form. In a second the smoke cleared reveling the hellish demon that loomed above them. Jasmine watched from below as the room began to spin with the force of his magic. Aladdin ran to her side. Holding on to her shoulders, they gazed up together at the awesome power the genie was displaying.

The Serbian army cowered away, many running back out of the broken entrance from which they came. Still the room was filled with Jafar's laughter and as he swooped down over the horrified faces of the men, his large glowing eyes narrowed. His voice boomed across the room, causing the walls to tremble slightly.

"Your wish, is my command." The Serbs screamed as the genie turned into a spinning red vortex, sucking one by one up into the spitting flames of the tornado. Jafar's red smoke surged out the palace door and over the expanse of army that marched beyond, consuming every soldier until their cries faded away.

Then there was silence. Slowly, thin wisps of red smoke trailed lazily back into the throne room, slithering over the ruble and floor to coil around Jafar as he shrunk back down to his normal size. Smoke turned to black and draped itself over his shoulders fading gradually back to his black robes. The red glow in his eyes faded last and he couldn't help but glare wickedly out over the scene of shocked faces. As the transformation completed, the great sorcerer sighed, a puff of red smoke drifting from the smile on his lips, quite content with what he had just accomplished.

Still kneeling on the floor, Jasmine breathed heavily, her hands clamped on to the lamp in a steadfast hold. She had felt everything. The power that surged from this vessel and into the man who now stood so calmly apart, had graced over her hands and sent chills into her chest. A chest that wouldn't stop pounding. She stared at Jafar, unable to look away. He met her gaze and smiled under the darkness of his eyes.

_What is this? _She wondered to herself, and pressed her hand protectively over her heart.

Aladdin took her arm and gently helped her to stand. Jafar walked over to them, his confidence giving way slightly to concern. He looked at Jasmine, wanting desperately to touch her, to hold her and make sure she was all right. But he couldn't.

"Are you ok?" was all he said. Jasmine nodded and looked out at the remainder of their soldiers. Not many of them had fallen, and seeing the remaining warriors lifted her heart. They had done it. They survived.

Jafar saw Jasmine smile and couldn't help but feel glad. But his brow furrowed, sensing something moving by the gates. He turned back toward the opening of the throne room, now dim with the setting sun. His eyes widened slightly as a figure emerged over the rubble of the entrance.

"Princess…" he trailed off. Jasmine and Aladdin turned to see what he was staring at. The man who stood in the door way was a towering figure, dressed in the most impressive of armor and accompanied on either side by equally intimidating guards. It was the Serbian King.

The man stood atop a tower of crumbling stone and looked out over the carnage of his men, and the absence of the rest. His eyes were mad with confusion and rage by what he had witnessed. His glorified army sucked into oblivion before his very eyes and only he and his guards left remaining.

His furious gaze went from the disaster before him to the three who stood at the center of the room, particularly the one dressed in black. Jafar's hand sheltered Jasmine protectively behind him, but not before the Serb King caught glimpse of what she held in her hand.

"You!" he screamed, "You cost me my victory! Kill them! And bring me that lamp!" Jasmine gasped as the King's men produced crossbows faster then she could blink.

"Run!" she shouted and the three of them took off, just avoiding a bombardment of deadly arrows as they shattered the stone floor where they had stood. The Serbian King and his men ran just behind them pursuing the royals and the sorcerer deeper into the palace.

All three were exhausted but still they ran on, speeding around corners and avoiding arrows that shot dangerously close to their heads.

"I, I don't understand!" Jasmine gasped, "Why are they still here?"

"You wished the Serb army away, not the king and his guards. I'm limited by specifics your majesty, hya!" Jafar grunted as he attempted to shoot their pursuers from over his shoulder. But the shot was week. Breathing heavily he gazed at his scepter, the eyes of the serpent were dim. _Damn! Almost out. _The men were right behind them, the King drawing his jagged sword. Jasmine glanced over her shoulder as she ran on, seeing them just an arm's length away. As one of the guard's raised his crossbow again she heard the click of the trigger. But the shot went awry as a large vase was dropped onto the heads of the King and his men.

"Nice hit Fluffy!" it was Iago, he and the white owl soared over the crumbled Serbs as they dizzily picked themselves up off of the floor.

"Iago!" Jafar shouted, "Where have you been?" Breathing heavily as he flapped his wings, Iago tried to fly alongside his master.

"Hiding of course. There's no way I was gonna stick around for that massacre. Did we win?"

"Not yet" it was Aladdin, "they'll be up and upon us again any minute. Where are we going?" Jasmine's mind raced, her heart seemed to be throwing itself against her aching chest, the lamp in her hand was almost burning her with the heat of its magic. All she could think of was the comfort of her old bedroom. They reached an intersection of hallways, all leading to a different part of the castle.

"This way!" she said and ran up a flight of stairs to her right, Jafar ran at her side, Aladdin Iago and the Owl just behind. Jafar leaned in to the queen and whispered slightly,

"Do you know what you're doing?" She glanced at him for a second from the corner of her eye. Through the exhaustion, and fear in his face, there was also concern. She looked ahead again. _I sure hope so._

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><p><strong>AN: thrilling eh? please leave me a review of what you think! cause baby it's only gonna get more intense from here. ;) <strong>_  
><em>


	9. The fall of love

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews and feedback. They've done wonders for the creative process and i really appreciate it. **

**This next chapter gets a little intense, violence and language warning, but we're all mature here so I know it's no problem :) **

**Thanks! and enjoy! **

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><p>The large stone terrace was a beautiful thing. Wide and pure, its alabaster stone glistened untouched above the charred streets of Agrabah. Jasmine's hands clutched the white banister as she leaned over the side, gasping the cold night air into her lungs as her body shook against the firm stone. She was tired, so very tired. She couldn't think of a time when she had struggled so, just to remain standing.<p>

Aladdin walked behind her, pacing back and forth on equally shaking legs, but he couldn't stop moving. His mind was as shaken as the rest of him, and as his eyes darted around fearfully, they took on a wild look as the panic of their situation began closing in around him.

"We're trapped up here. Dammit! Jasmine, you lead us to a dead end!" he ran a trembling hand through his thick hair, the other clinging desperately to the hilt of his sword.

On weak arms Jasmine propped herself up, and stared astonished at her husband. Jafar too was shocked by the boy king's outburst.

"Excuse me? I am not the one responsible for us running for our lives." She said exasperatedly, her eyes scanning his back, daring him to turn around and confirm what he had just said.

"No, but if you hadn't been more clear with the wish we wouldn't be up here waiting for our executioners to break through your bedroom door!" he shouted at her over his shoulder. Jasmine couldn't believe this. They had fought before, especially in these later months, but here he was, yelling and blaming her at a time where, if anything, they should have been unified, and he wouldn't even face her as he did so. His back turned to her shuttering form shielding himself behind the clothes that claimed him a king.

This was too much, Jasmine pushed away from railing and quickly closed the gap between her and Aladdin. Grabbing his shoulders she spun him around to face her .

"Look! What we've been through is traumatic, and you're freaking out because of it. I can see that. But you don't have the luxury to blame others anymore. You're the Sultan now, and have been for a while, so stop acting like the scared peasant boy on the streets and help us figure this out!" Aladdin's eyes betrayed him and gleamed with fear as he searched the strong determined face of his Queen. He breathed shallowly,

"That's just it, Jasmine, I don't think I can. I… I'm not cut out for this. Our people, our people suffered today because of me. It's my fault they're d.." but he couldn't finish, his hand rushing to his face as his shoulders shook.

Jafar, who was standing warily by the door, looked at the quivering sultan and scoffed. _How pathetic could the street rat be?_ _Needing comfort from his Queen that was stronger than he. _It sickened him to see her coddle him so. He didn't deserve her kindness, he who was so below her equal.

But Jasmine's stern face softened as her love struggled not to crumble before her. Without a word she opened her arms to him, letting her king release the weight of a year of hardships that had been placed upon him. Aladdin had been her hero, but the evil he had saved her from was centered in one terrible event, that had ended with a wish from a lamp. But the responsibilities of ruling a kingdom were a nonstop attack on the nerves of a king. And she had watched in sadness as one by one the problems they had faced wore away at the brave young man she had fallen in love with, and left him to weep before her now. Jasmine understood his change, but her heart had suffered greatly because of it.

Her body shook slightly under his weight of his head on her shoulder. Every inch of her was sore and aching, but still she held him tightly and whispered in his ear,

"We've done this before. And I'm here with you, as I always have been. But I need to know that you can work with us now. C'mon my love, help us fight, the battle is not over yet."

Her words were nectar in his ear, sweet and flowing with the warmth of her breath soft upon his neck. But there was also a spark there, and as she squeezed his arm, though her hands were shaking, the light in her eyes shined with power, and the young king felt the strength of his queen flow over him. He nodded to her and held her there, staring into those brilliant almond eyes and holding her firmly in his grasp.

Jafar felt as if a dagger were being drawn up his spine. The way her lips softly whispered against the urchin's ear, her quivering hands supporting him though she could hardly support herself, it nearly broke his heart. This was wrong, and everything within him screamed from his subconscious to make it right. She was so strong, the one most in need of care and yet the one who was forced to give it. And here he stood, powerless to help her, and the man she clung to, too blind to see the need. Jafar cursed Aladdin, a fire ragging inside him with such furry that the staff within his hand began to shake, its eyes glowing fiercely with the power of his rage. He didn't care what the consequence; as soon as he was free of this damn lamp he would take Jasmine away from here, away from the scum that soiled her heart. He knew that she would hate him for it and would probably fight him for the rest of her life, but he simply couldn't bear to see her succumb to such a man, nor could he stand the idea of her in anyone else's arms but his own.

Jafar turned away and focused his anger on the door. He gripped his staff defensively, hearing the voice of the Serbian king just beyond. Calling over his shoulder he alerted the others.

"Jasmine, The door!" she turned at Jafar's words, suddenly hearing it too. They had but a moment if that. And against those archers, they had no hope. But, she swallowed the lump in her throat and ran to Jafar's side, they still had to try. Aladdin followed too and the three of them stood braced in the door way, weapons out as they watched the door expectantly from across the wide scaling room.

Jafar tensed as he felt Jasmine at his side. With no weapon to hold, her slender hand rested gently upon his arm. Feeling her warmth against him he looked down at her, her beautiful face gazing back at him. She didn't say anything, she couldn't, but he could read it in her eyes. A soft understanding kindness took him under her gaze, thanking him as the light danced boldly in her eyes. She was scared, he could see that, but she was also grateful, and something in their shared gaze seemed to reach out and connect them in that moment. Softly she squeezed his arm as her other hand reached for the lamp at her side. It was time.

His warm gaze widened as he realized she meant to keep her promise, wishing him free before they met what she surely assumed to be their demise. But his hand shot out and gripped her wrist tightly, surprising Jasmine as the Sorcerer pulled her close to him.

"No, Princess, you must use it to save yourself." Jasmine shook her head violently.

"No, no I promised it to you, and you've done so much for us already. I have to wish you free now before…"

"That won't happen! I won't let you die. And I won't allow you to save me if it means losing you." For the first time Jafar didn't care if the street rat was right beside them. He caressed her face and looked deep into her auburn eyes. But she backed away holding the lamp close to her chest, Aladdin and Jafar watching as she neared the edge of the balcony.

Aladdin looked between Jafar and Jasmine, concern and confusion clouded on his face. Glancing back at the lamp he knew that Jafar was right, there was one last wish, one more chance for them to be free.

"Jasmine! Do as he says, wish us away to safety, he shouldn't be free anyway!" Jafar glared dangerously at the small Sultan beside him. But Jasmine shook her head again, a thin tear falling down her cheek. She looked at the two men before her, and knew then that she couldn't obey either of them without refusing the other.

And she admitted it now, she loved them both, her King and The Sorcerer. And this truth tore at her heart more than anything she could bear. Looking into Jafar's worried eyes, and feeling her heart race with the love that shined there but that neither of them could ever admit, she managed to smile, the corners of her mouth quivering ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, and rubbed the lamp. " I wish…" But Jasmine never finished, for before she could the large white owl descended upon her, once again picking her up in its silver talons and carrying her high into the sky. With a spread of its massive wings, Jasmine gasped her eyes filling with a blinding radiance as she lost control of her body, spreading her arms out to mimic her shinning savior as she was absorbed in the power of its light.

Just as this miracle was taking place, the door of the princess's bedroom broke open, the king and his men kicking through the splintered remains and running toward the awestruck group on the terrace.

Through the gossamer curtains, they froze, staring as well at the blinding brilliance that gleamed above them.

With a flap of its wings, that sent the amazed onlookers reeling back against the force of wind that it issued, the bird was once again whole, Jasmine now magically bound to the mighty creature. The owl gave a piercing screech as it dropped down and swooped over the terrace, causing Jafar and Aladdin to duck from its decent. It looked over its shoulder and called again, the fiercest intensity in its gleaming eyes.

Jafar and Aladdin wore masks of equal bewilderment, their mouths agape as they watched the creature fly off with their Queen's essence. Swinging around to Iago who was perched on the banister, Jafar glared at him with eyes that could spit fire. His face contorted in uncontrollable rage and confusion as he screamed at the parrot,

"What just happened?! Where is she?!" Iago flew up in the air to meet Jafar's gaze.

"Fluffy said that the wish couldn't be wasted and decided to save Jasmine herself. She did as she did before and absorbed her, she's safe Jafar, she's there with her." Jafar blinked, struggling to take everything in, the shock of what he had just seen still making it hard for him to concentrate. But through the chaos and confusion in his mind, one thing stood true, Jasmine was safe…Jasmine was safe.

The Serbian King was in equal dismay. There had been far too many oddities witnessed today for him to ever think logically again. These people were rich in magic, and yet they cowered in similar confusion before it. As a man who constantly sought the pursuit for power, he envied anyone who had more then he, and despised those who possessed it, but refused to wield it properly. And what were these two men before him? A coward king, and a genie who preferred the weakness of a human body then his own divine form. And whatever that other little angelic magic trick that just occurred was. It was simple, he thought, shoot the bird, kill the boy, get the power. Agrabah and its genie would be his and it only took two shots.

Slapping his left guard out of haze he pointed to the bird and uttered a single order. The man instantly snapped his crossbow into position and took aim upon the owl. Recognizing the Serbian command, Jafar spun around in alarm, just as the bowman pulled the trigger and the arrow was released.

He shouted as the release clicked like a cannon blast in his ears, his body jolting as he ran to the edge of terrace clinging to the banister and practically falling over the side as he watched in horror as the arrow met its target, catching the great bird off guard and running it through, in one clean shot.

A great cry was heard as the owl seized from the impact, a terrible dying sound screaming from the core of it breast as the magical creature spread out its wings before plummeting toward earth. Jafar's heart seemed to scream along with the mighty beast as his eyes followed its terrifying decent. Halfway down the white plumage of the bird faded away, revealing the limp falling body of the Queen.

Without a thought in his mind and only the fear burning in his heart Jafar leapt onto the railing, his magic clouding around him as he made to leap, hoping to fly out to her, catch her before she landed. But as his foot left the edge another click was heard, like a ghost in the shadows of the distance, and Jafar found the unfamiliar pierce of pain as an arrow ripped through his side, crippling him mid jump and causing him to fall violently to his knees. Clasping his side, he almost slipped over the ledge, sure to meet a similar fate as she who he had tried to save.

The magic in him licked away the pain, as slowly the blood trickled back through his fingers and returned to the wound, leaving behind their red stains on torn and tattered cloth, the skin clean and exposed beneath.

None of this went noticed by Jafar, he simply knelt there in silent suspension as he watched the distant shape of Jasmine's body turn over itself in a lifeless plummet, to then meet the ground in an unnatural and all to sudden stop.

He stared unblinking at her distant form, feeling as dead as the love who lay so motionless and so far before him. For nothing in him dared to live. The blood within him seemed to cease, his body rigid, and his mind as empty and cold as oblivion. In that moment the entirety of the world faded away, and Jafar felt nothing but a silent and terrible scream that filled him up and seeped from every pore in his body, but never made a sound.

Perhaps it was the scream of Sultan Aladdin who stood beside him now that reached the sorcerer in this black abyss, the young king wailing miserably into the night as he too looked on helplessly at her distant unmoving body. It could have been his own helpless despair that was filling him up, tearing at his soul from the inside and screaming this silent cry. But it wasn't… it was her. Oh Allah, it was Jasmine. The scream that never left her lips as she was pulled violently back to earth and never stopped ringing in him as he continued the fall, long after she had come to rest.

With nothing but that terrible sound echoing through his ears, the great sorcerer turned slowly, his eyes clouded in a dead vacant haze, as he watched the boy dressed in white dive madly for something that lay at Jafar's feet. It was the lamp. She must have dropped it before she…

But his gaze furrowed then, Aladdin was rubbing the lamp and pulling Jafar violently from this cold and haunted place and back to the dark and painful jaws of reality.

In a second the red smoke pooled around Jafar's feet and consumed him. The electrical serge of power coursed into him, stabbing under his fingernails and slicing like razors up his arms. Jafar wrenched and twisted as the power consumed him, filling and expanding his body as the red magic flowed beneath his skin. Coursing around his heart he felt a stab of uncontrollable hatred that overpowered the sad lost feelings of moments ago and burned inside him with a fire unmatched to anything he had ever felt before. With a bellow that seemed to spit the flames of hell itself, the great genie broke free from his transformation , and towered down over the cowering Serbians before him. The men who had stolen Jasmine from him. By Allah, if the boy didn't request a fucking genocide on these mortals, he would unleash it himself.

With an equal fire burning in his hurt and tear stained eyes, Aladdin approached his wife's murderers, holding the black ceramic lamp in a death like grip. Between clenched teeth he hissed out his series of wishes.

"I wish for their bodies to be broken and mangled, as hers was when she fell." The king's eyes widened in fear and he shrunk back, putting up his hands as if able to hold off the magic that slithered evilly toward him. Their pained and panicked voices shrieked out in horror as the red mist came upon them, wrenching them in unbearable anguish as their bodies were indescribably crushed, their bones shattered one by one, all the while their punishment was doled, Jafar was forcing upon them too this terrible scream that was tearing at his soul, to ring mercilessly through their minds.

Aladdin watched on silently, his teeth clenched as hot tears streamed down his face.

"I wish that they would suffer all the heartache and torment that I now feel to an extent that was a thousand times greater." This curse too was unleashed upon them and the men in their beaten and broken states began to sputter and sob, their hearts torn apart, their very souls as if wrenched from their being, faced the burning plague of this unbearable suffering.

And there they lay, before the Sultan and the genie, no longer men but mere remnants of what they once were, mournful piles of pain and despair, and with just enough life in them to weep for the glory of death. Aladdin looked at them in disgust, he wanted them to suffer more, but he couldn't bear to look at them any longer. So he made to speak again, one last time, the final wish that would end them forever, but before he could he was stopped. A large red hand placed firmly on his shoulder. The broken king stared angrily at Jafar, tears still burning in his eyes.

"Let me end them!" he stuttered. But Jafar simply shook his head.

"There is a greater need for such sacrifice, I cannot kill them without condemning myself." Aladdin seethed at his words, the rage of what had been done still burning inside him.

"You can't kill them… but I can." And without another word Aladdin pulled the sword from his side and cast it down upon the Serbian king and his men that lay beside him, sending them down to hell without so much as a hesitation. As he stepped away from his work, Aladdin dropped his sword, the bloody metal hitting the now tarnished stone with a resounding clatter. At the sound the Sultan too fell to his knees and burying his head in his hands began to weep for what he had done, and for what he had lost.

Jafar felt the same woe and despair pressured against his soul as the crying boy, but he also felt a cold sense of determination, and he knew what he had to do.

Turning to Aladdin he knelt down and picked up the lamp, the handle burning his skin as he held it firmly in an unfazed grip. This he put into the boy kings hands, and pulled him to his feet. Through tear blurred eyes Aladdin stared at the oddly stoic expression of the great sorcerer who stood before him, his hands trembling as he held the burning lamp, the heat of its magic leaving him unharmed as well.

Jafar looked off into the distance, to the far garden in the palace grounds where Jasmine had fallen.

"Come," he said. "We must collect her body." Before Aladdin could question this, the genie had placed a hand firmly on his arm and surrounded them in a hot cloud of red smoke, transporting them to the area where she lay, Iago flying silently behind.

The smoky magic cleared and Aladdin fell to the ground, completely exhausted from all that had happened and now fully drained from Jafar's transport. As he caught his breath, wheezing on his hands and knees, Jafar's long black robes glided silently past him. There she was, her body laid out in an odd and twisted display for the millions of watching stars above her. Slowly Jafar approached her, stopping a few feet away as a sudden fear logged itself heavily in his throat. To see her body that way unsettled him, but her face, her face was just as gentle and serine as it had been before.

At last he could bear it no longer and went to her side. Scooping his Jasmine up into his arms he cradled her head close to him and buried his face in beautiful hair. Squeezing his eyes shut against the truth he whispered nonsensically in her ear, murmurs of love and apology, knowing she couldn't hear him but something inside him insisted upon it. The warmth gone from her body told him that this wasn't his Jasmine anymore, and it tore at his heart to accept that. So, carefully he drew back and looked once more upon her soft caramel skin, and the gentle pout of her full red lips, the beauty of her he had always admired, but the beauty of her character, her spirit, her fire, that was what had left him. But he was going to get it back for her. No matter the costs.

He silently placed her on the ground again, backing away to let Aladdin come to her. The Sorcerer paced the garden for several minutes, giving Aladdin time to grieve, and himself time to think about the sacrifice he was about to make. Pausing by the large fountains, Jafar pulled up his now tattered sleeves and examined the large golden bands that were clamped tightly around his wrists. He knew the rules, no love, no death, no resurrection, but these weren't impossible for him, simply condemned choices, choices that came with the severest of cost. He closed his eyes and let the sleeves fall. For her he would take it. He had too. The last thing he had said to her was that he wouldn't let her die, that he would protect her, and he had failed. Jafar felt that wall of fire building up inside him once more. He would die if he couldn't see her again, hold her once for real, and tell her truly what she had awakened in him. He had failed to save her, so he would sacrifice himself in order to bring her back.

Jafar walked back to Aladdin and Jasmine, his scepter clacking quietly on the stone cobbles of the garden path. Aladdin looked up at him as he approached, the tears now dried from his eyes but the look of a truly broken man painted upon his face.

"She's gone… and, and it's all my fault."

_Well, yes, it is… mostly. _Jafar thought to himself, but the words he spoke were slightly less harsh.

"She's not gone forever, there is a way." Aladdin didn't understand, and if this was a way of Jafar playing with him he swore he kill him too, genie or not.

Jafar knelt down and picked up the lamp, offering it to Aladdin.

"Make the third wish, wish her back to you." The young Sultan shook his head in quite disbelief.

"No… no that's not possible. The rules…"

"The rules can be broken, for a price."

"And you're willing to pay that price? For me?" Jafar had to restrain himself from sneering as he responded,

"Not for you, for her. And… yes. But this wish can only be made soon, so by Allah, you must make it now." Aladdin looked down at the lamp that this man, who was once his greatest enemy, now offered him. Without a word he took it from the sorcerer's long slender fingers, and glancing at Jasmine's pale face one last time, rubbed the lamp.

"I wish Jasmine was alive and safe." He said, his eyes squeezed shut, not sure what to expect from such a forbidden request. He waited, and what came to him was the low charmed voice of one who knew their fate had been sealed,

"Your wish is my command."

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><p><strong>AN: I tackled this chapter in one fell swoop, so i hope nothing got lost in there. **

**Ok, so we are so close to the end of the story just a few more chapters to go. But i can't write them untill you send me lengthy reviews or messages describing your heartache to what just happend. Did you see this coming? What do you think of Aladdin's turn of events? And also I'd love to hear your theories on what Jafar's great sacrifice will be. **

**Your reviews are the magic words, and I am your Genie ;D So I hope to hear from you! and hope you enjoyed this sad yet thrilling chapter! **


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